Safety cut-out for incandescent electric lamps.



lA. w. HoucHlN. SAFETY CUT-OUT FOR INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LAMPS.

vAPPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 191?.

Patented 0m. l, 1918.

rens co.. nora-uma wwumcmn. n c.

ALFRED vv.` HoUcH'nroF KIRKWooD, NEW JERSEY.

` Lese-,212?.

SAFETY cur-ourson mcnnnnscnlvrunnormc LAMPS.

y Specication of Letterslatent. Patented @at 1, 1918.

` appiicationrfuednprnao,1917. serial no. 165,590.

Tov all whoml it mag/*concern i Beit known that I, AfLrRnDIWfHoUeHrN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kirkwood, in the county fof Camdent` and State of' New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Safety Cut-Outs for Incandescent ElectricLamps; and I dovdeclare the; following to.` be a full, clear, and exact. description of the invention, such asv will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperta-ins to malte and use the same. Y i

This invention relates generally `toincandescent electric klam-ps andV morev particularly to incandescent electric lampsi containing safetyfcut-outs-.- y The. primary object ofi the invention is to provide a lmeans for incandescent electric lamps whereby when` an excessive amountof electric current is suppliedto the lamp, it is cut out 'of the circuit, thereby preventing the filament of the lamp` from injury.` l Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this. characterVA which will be extremely simple and inexpensive in construction, and yet comparatively strong and durable and one which-'will be elicient and reliable in operation, and well' `adapted to the purpose Jfor which it is, designed.`

With these and `numerous otherobjects in view7 the.- inventionconsists inthe novel details of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter fully described. and claimed.`

In the accompanying drawings, forming ,a

part of the application and in which simil-far reference characters designate like parts throughout the severalviews:`

Figure l is a central vertical, sectional View, 'partly infelevation, of a lamp constructed in accordance with thisinvention;

Fig. 2 isa transverse sectionalview across a portion of the lamp, Said view being taken4 `,veniient mannertothe usual form of baseI 2. 'The base 2 is. provided with a, projecting center contact?) and screw contact el, These elements form no part of the present invention, although they `are described for the `sake of-clearness. Disposed centrally. within the upper end of `the bulb 1 and secured, to the base 2 in anysuitable manner is a supporting neck 5.

Although it isnot essential as to the ma- Ateriall from which the neck 5' is formed, yet

the" ends ofthe neck 5 and being disposed in the openings 6- and 7 therein. These leads 11A and 12 arel respectively connected in the usual manner with the center and screw contacts 3 and 4 of the base2. A portion of the lead 12 consists of a thermostatic current` conducting member 13 which is shown secured at its upper `end in any convenient manner as at 14 to the lower end of the. upper portion of the lead 12. y

In Figs. 1 and 2 'of the drawings, this member 13 is illustrated as consisting of a substance which contracts under the heat of `electric resistance. This substance is pref- -ferably an alloy ofpbismuth. The lower end of themember 13- isi provided with a ball contact element 15, While the upper end of f the lower portion of the lead 12 is provided with a `cup-shaped cooperating contact, 16. It is tobe understood that as longas the member 13 is cool',ithe` ball` 15 will bein engagement with the cup-shaped contact 16 and current will pass through the leads and the' filament 10. In case, however, the current is turned on and an excessive amount should be supplied, the heat of resistance of the thermostat member 13 will cause the Same to contract, thereby drawing contact element 15 out of engagement with the contact element, 16. The lamps will thus be cut out until the member 13 cools and expands and takes its normal position. Should the current still be excessive, the member 18 'y scribed comprising a base, a bulb attached tric resistance.

will again heat up and contract. This operation will be repeated until a safe current is supplied. Y

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, a slightly Inodiiied form v of the invention is shown wherein the member Y13 is formed of a substance which expands upon the heat of elec- This member is in this case connected as before at its upper end to the lower end of the upper portion of the lead 12,'while at its lower end it is provided with Ya hook-shaped contact element 17 whidh coperates with a similar contact 'element 18 carried by the upper end of the lower portion of the lead 12. The substance `from which this expanding member 13 is constructed is preferably an alloy of copper. The operationV of this `form of the invention is the same as the other form with the exception that upon the supply of an excessive current to the lamp, the member 13 expands instead of contracts.

1t is to be here understood that the open- 'ing 6 in the supporting neck 5 provides a space to allow for the expansion, if any, of the lead 11. The opening 7 in the neck 5 allows for the proper expansion and contraction of the thermostat member, Whichever form is used, and acts as a suitable guiding means, should there be any tendency on the part of said member tobuckle.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, `the construction, use and o eration of the invention will be readily un erstood Without a more extended explanation.

' As numerous changes in form, proportion,

and in the minor details of construction may be resortedto without departing from the spirit ,of this invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown and described, other than as claimed.

1. An incandescent lamp of the class deto said base, a filament disposed within s'aid bulb and capable of being heated to incandescence by its electrical resistance, a pair of leads attached to said base and connected to "f `the ends of said lament, a portion of one of said leads consisting of a thermostatic current conducting member normally in cony Ycopies of this patent may be obtained for Y-leads consisting of a thermostatic current conducting member having a Contact element at one end thereof, and a cooperating contact on the. adjacent portion of `the last mentioned lead. i Y

-3. An incandescent lamp of the class described comprising a bulb, a supporting neck disposed within said bulb and having a pair of longitudinally extending openings therein, a filament connected to said neck and having leads V extending through the ends thereof and the openings therein and connected to the base of the lamp, a -portion of one of said leads consisting of a thermo- Y static current conducting member fixed at one end and having a contact element at its other end, and a cooperating contact element on the adjacent portion of the last mentioned lead.l Y

4C. An ncandescentlamp of the class described comprising a bulb, a supporting neckl disposed within said'bulb and having a pair of longitudinally extending openings therein, a flament'eonnected to` said neck and having `leads extending through the ends thereof and the openings therein and connected to the base vof the lamp, a portion of one of said leads consisting of a current conducting member which contracts `'under the heat of electrical resistance, said member having a 4xed connection at one end to said neck and having a Contact element at its other end, and a coperating contact element on the `adjacent portion of the last mentioned lead. l

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handv inthe presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

j 1 ALFRED W. HOUCHIN. Witnesses: Y ALFRED W. Honor-IIN, Jr., J. Bnzoxs.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, `Washingfnomc. i 

